Far-right commentator Candace Owens had social media users rolling their eyes after she claimed that the Munchkins in the beloved 1939 musical film The Wizard of Oz performed a "satanic ritual."
Owens delved into her interpretation of the iconic movie on January 16, suggesting that there are "satanic" elements embedded in the storyline and asserting that the celebration in Munchkinland following the accidental death of the Wicked Witch of the East was, in fact, a sinister act.
According to Owens, the seemingly innocent singing and dancing by the Munchkins upon the death of their oppressor should be viewed as a celebration of the devil:
“Before the Wicked Witch, if that’s what we’re calling her, shows up, the Munchkins – Oompa Loompas, whatever you wanna call them – are throwing a party while there is a dead person under a house, and they’re skipping with Dorothy singing, ‘Ding-dong, the witch is dead.'"
“There’s somebody that’s dead and they’re dancing and saying, ‘Which old witch? The wicked witch … Obviously, this is some sort of a satanic ritual.”
"So I wanna make that clear that they're having a satanic ritual. It's the only reason you'd have a dead person and dance around them. And then the witch ends the party when she shows up and finds her dead sister."
You can hear what she said in the video below.
In both the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the iconic film adaptation, Dorothy Gale, played by the late, great Judy Garland, meets a few Munchkins who are accompanied by the Good Witch of the North.
The remaining Munchkins reveal themselves later, expressing gratitude to Dorothy for eliminating their malevolent ruler, the Wicked Witch of the East.
It's a simple story about the triumph of good over evil—not that this seemed apparent to Owens.
Owens' comments were swiftly mocked.
When not being criticized for making racist and anti-trans remarks, Owens has made headlines for other outlandish claims.
In October, Owens lashed out at Taylor Swift over the at-the-time unverified rumors that Swift was dating Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce and claimed no man wants to marry her. While Owens doesn't necessarily disapprove of the romance, she took aim at Swift herself, criticizing her personality and newfound interest in football.
Last spring, Owens made headlines for claiming that singer and dancer JoJo Siwa is pretending to be a lesbian "for attention" not long after she criticized Kim Kardashian's SKIMS clothing line campaign featuring a model in a wheelchair, saying she did not understand why companies felt the need to include people with disabilities in their advertisements.
